Rack-wagon.



S. LITTLE.

RACK WAGON.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 13, 1912.

A llomey 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

C(INVENTOR Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

PVITN'ESSES COLUMBIA PLANODRAPH C(LJVASHINGTON. D c.

S. LITTLE.

RAGKWAGON.

APPLICATION TILED JUNE13, 1912.

1,051,137. I Patented Jan.21,1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES 7 INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAIH CO.,WASIIINGTCIN, u. c.

STATES SANTFORD LITTLE, OF FAIRMOUNT, INDIANA.

RACK-WAGON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

Application filed June 13, 1912. Serial No. 703,547.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANTFORD LITTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairmount, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racl -VVagons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rack wagons, such as are employed for hauling hay, straw, fodder and such as may be used as moving vans and similar vehicle structures,the object of the invention being to provide simple and eiiicient means for converting the front standard of the rack of such a wagon into a drivers spring seat and for properly retaining the parts of said front standard in either of the two positions in which they may be disposed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the application of my improvements to a rack wagon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the end standard disposed to form a drivers seat. Fig. 3 is a front end view showing the end standard in its normal vertical position, and Fig. 4 is a detail view.

1 represents a suitable wagon body mounted through the medium of suitable truckframes on wheels 2. The body 1 is provided at the rear end with the usual rear standards 3 and at the forward end of said body 1, my improved front standard is located.

The front standard 4 comprises three frames 5, 6 and 7 hinged together as at 8 and 9. The lower frame 5 comprises vertical angle irons 1O spaced apart and securely bolted at their lower ends to the body 1,- said angle irons being suitably braced by truss-rods 11 and a cross-bar 12. The standard section 6 also comprises two angle irons 13 connected at their lower ends by the hinges 8 with the angle irons 10 and a board 14 extends from one angle iron 13 to the other and is secured to both. The upper standard section 7 likewise comprises two angle irons 15 connected at their lower ends by hinges 9 with the upper ends of the angle irons 13 of standard section 6. The angle iron members 15 of the upper standard section 7 are connected by transverse bars or plates 16-17 and a loop 18 is also secured at its ends to the respective angle iron members 15 for the reception of one end of a pole when the standard 4 is in its normal vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3.

To each member 10 of the standard section 5, a bracket 19 is pivotally attached and provided with perforated lugs 20 for the passage of a rod 21. A similar bracket 22 is pivotally attached to each member 13 of the standard section 6 and provided with perforated lugs 23 through which said rod 21 also passes. Each rod 21 is provided at its upper end with a head 24 and a key 25 passes through said rod under the upper lug of the bracket 22. A spring 26 encircles each rod 21 and is secured at its respective ends to the brackets 19 and 22. When the several standard sections are disposed in vertical alinement with each other, the springs 26 will be under tension and serve to assist in maintaining such vertical alinement. To each angle iron 10 of the lower standard section 5, two vertical arms 27 are secured and project upwardly therefrom, each pair of said arms having alined holes for the reception of the lateral projection 28 of a rod 29, the other end of said rod being pivotally attached to the upper standard section 7. -Each angle iron member 13 of the intermediate standard section 6 is provided near its lower end with a notch 29 which, when the standard sections are in vertical alinement with each other, will receive the lateral projections 28 of the rods 29 and thus the sections will be locked together and held in such locked position by the springs 26.

The intermediate section 6 is provided at its upper end with a hand hold 30 for manipulating the standard. [hen it is desired to convert the standard into a drivers seat, the operator, grasping the hand hold 30, will pull the section 6 rearwardly and cause it to assume a horizontal posltion, as shown in Fig. 2, when the board 14 will be properly disposed to form the seat. When the intermediate section 6 is thus pulled rearwardly and hinged down to a horizontal position, the rods 29 will cause the upper section 7 to assume a vertical position and the cross-bars 16-17 of said upper section will constitute aback rest. In order that the section said sections will be beveled as shown in Fig. 2 and this beveling of the members or. sections 6 and 7 will be such as to permit some play between the same. When the intermediate section 6 was moved rearwardly to a horizontal position, the rod 21 and springs 26 were moved rearwardly past the hinge connection between said members or sections 5 and 6, and the tension of said springs was released. It will therefore be seen that when the intermediate standard section 6 is disposed in a horizontal position to form a drivers seat, it will be supported upon the springs 26 and thus a spring seat is afforded. By reason of the connections between the upper standard section 7 and the lower standard section 5, the yielding movements of the seat portion 6 will be imparted to the back portion or section 7 and thus the latter will be made yielding.

Brackets 31 are secured to the intermediate portions of the members 10 of the lower standard section 5 and serve to support a cross-bar 32 which constitutes a foot rest.

Slight changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the invention as hereinafter defined.

Having fully described my invention what I cla1m as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. A convertible rack standard comprisingthree members hmged together, sprmgs connecting the lower and intermediate standard members, and devices connecting the upper and lower standard members, whereby said intermediate standard member will be supported when in a horizontal position on said springs and constitute a drivers seat with the upper standard member disposed brackets pivotally attached to the lower and intermediate standard sections, rods passing through said brackets, springs on said rods and interposed between the brackets on the end to end,

lower and intermediate standard sections and secured to said brackets, and means connecting the upper standard section with the upper end of the lower standard section.

3. Aconvertible rack standard comprising three sections hinged together end to end, the intermediate section provided with notches, springs connecting the lower and intermediate sections, rods connecting the upper and lower standard sections, and lateral projections at the lower ends of said rods to enter the notchesof the intermediate standard section.

4. A convertible rack standard comprising three angle iron frames hinged together end to end, brackets pivotally attached at respective sides of the lower angle iron frame,

brackets pivotally attached to the respective sides of the intermediate angle iron frame, rods passing through the brackets of the lower and intermediate angle iron frames, springs encircling said rods and connected at their respective ends to the brackets on the lower and intermediate angle iron frames, means for locking the intermediate frames to the lower frame when said frames are in vertical alinement and connections between the upper frame and the lower frame for maintaining said upper frame in vertical position both when the lntermedlate frame is in a vertical or horizontal position.

5. A convertible rack standard comprising three frames hinged together end to end, springs connected at one end with intermediate portions of the lower frame and at their other ends with intermediate portions of the intermediate frame, means for lock ing the intermediate frame to the lower frame, rods pivotally connected at one end to the upper frame and connected at their lower ends with the lower frame, a seat secured to the intermediate frame, and a back rest on the upper frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SANTFORD LITTLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fol five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

